40 of Canada's Best Junior A Players Set to Clash in 2018 CJHL Prospects Game

The CJHL Top Prospects game brings 40 of the top Junior A players in
Canada for a matchup in front of fans and scouts. These players are out
to make a case why they should play at the next level. (Robert Lefebvre,
icelevel.com)

Two days before the top major junior draft-eligible players will suit
up in front of scouts in Guelph, Ont., the top 40 Canadian Junior
Hockey League (CJHL) will showcase their talents 45 minutes away in
Mississauga.

Each of the players chosen to participate in the CJHL Prospects Game
were selected through the efforts of NHL Central Scouting and are
currently among the top 40 CJHL prospects heading into the 2018 NHL
Draft in Dallas.

Joe Martin, the head coach for Team West, said his role as coach is
different since it’s equal ice time for all and the lines are
predetermined by scouts.

“At this type of event, you’re basically there to encourage and open
the door,” Martin said. “You try to get the most out of these guys, but
you’re not line matching and you’re not getting certain guys in certain
positions or at certain times in the game. You end up rolling all four
lines and all six defencemen.”

Despite the presence of top end talent, Martin says he will be
pushing players to showcase everything for the scouts, including hustle.

“I know it’s an All-Star game and Prospects game, but they got to get
rid of that mindset if they have it. You’ve got to go out there and
show that you’re willing to win by how hard you work and how hard you
compete, and all the guys on our roster have a great skillset. That will
shine through, as long as the work ethic is there, and that’s what I’ll
focus on,” he said.

These players come from all across the country, as far west as
Nanaimo, B.C. and far east as Bridgewater, Nova Scotia from 10 Junior A
leagues. Beyond the game there is also testing both on and off the ice.

Three players in the tournament rank inside ISS top 100 rankings -
Team East’s Jack McBain from the OJHL’s Toronto Jr. Canadians, plus Team
West’s Jonathon Tychonick of Penticton in the BCHL and Jacob
Bernard-Docker of Okotoks in the AJHL.

McBain, a forward, is ranked one spot ahead of Tychonick at 28. He
has 43 points in 39 games to rank in the top 20 in OJHL scoring. Next
year, he’s off to Boston College.

Despite being drafted 12th overall by Saskatoon in the 2015 WHL
Draft, Tychonick decided to go the Jr. A and College route and will head
to the University of North Dakota next fall. With 26 points in 32
games, his year has been steady.

Just a few spots down at No. 40, Jacob Bernard-Docker has been a fast
riser in rankings. He’s poised to join Tychonick at UND next season,
but right now he’s a big part of the AJHL-leading Oilers and currently
leads all blueliners in the league in goals with 14.

Both Bernard-Docker and Tychonick won gold with Team Canada West
during December World Junior A Challenge. Martin was an assistant with
the team there. McBain was on Team East that failed to medal.

Along with these three players, several others recently laced up in
the WJAC with Canada West or East. The WJAC was the main spot for scouts
to watch these players ahead of naming them to the team, along with
games in their respective leagues. It will be a highly attended event by
scouts from both the NHL and college ranks.

Each team will also have a former NHLer as a guest coach. Team East
has Rick Vaive behind the bench, while Maple Leafs legend Wendel Clark
will be with Martin and Team West to inspire the players. Team West has
won the matchup seven times to East’s five.

Martin’s final words ahead of the game gave a sense of what’s at stake.

“Go there with a purpose, go there to showcase how hard you can play, potentially in an NHL jersey one day.”

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